Grand Canyon Hike with TNT for LLS

Ohh hi there.  It's true I've been a bit of slacker when it comes to blogging.  I've not been called to write down all my adventures lately.  Sad, but true.  I guess I'm feeling the need to update.

Back in May I completed my 9th TNT event, alongside my husband (his first TNT event) and 3 friends from NC. We were joined by folks all over the country in the beautiful Grand Canyon.  We did a day hike, on the Bright Angel Trail down to Indian Garden.  It was AMAZING!!  The views were incredible.  It's just like what everyone says, words cannot describe being right there in the mist of it all.  It was a fun and easy hike into the canyon, we trotted along with no worries at all.  Coming back out was a whole other adventure.  As the sun started to really come out and the climb out was full of steep switchbacks, this girl got tired.  I had to battle a few inner demons (please can the mule just come pick me up??).  I was forced to eat some more (my drinking of fluids was fine, but I'm always terrible at nutrition).  With the help of my hubby and my friends I made it back up.  Our pace was pretty quick, set by one friend with really long legs.  The rewards, besides the fact that raised a ton of money for blood cancer research and helping patients with blood cancer, was prickly pear margaritas!!  Bring on the salt!!  All in all it was one of the most amazing TNT adventures I've had.

Jason and I on the bus to go to the Canyon

Our small group

hiking down

Jason surveying

the happy trio

place a million years ago....not really but pretty accurate info from early explorers.

prickly pear

thank you for supporting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Prickly Pear Margarita

Our Guide

Sunrise over the Canyon

Real life Wildlife.

New Years at home...

We rung in the New Year...Happy 2013.....at home.  This is the second year that we've gotten together with friends and hosted a Murder Mystery Dinner Party.  We had a great time with some great friends.  We have wonderful people around us that help make our lives happy.  My friend Kim planned most of the party, and got us all organized, and made most of the food, then we hosted.  So much fun!!  The kit's are usually cheesy and this was no exception, from the names of the characters to the props.  (Tara Misu, Claire Voyant, Pepi Roni....hahahha).  I think it's a great new tradition that we've started for New Year's!!  

Christmas 2012...

 First try at Santa Bread....thought it was good until I saw it the next morning and it looked like a got stung by a bee.

Scout enjoyed his time up in Virginia...he got lot's of walks and lot's of treats.






We got to hang out with Uncle Ronnie.  It was nice to visit with him.

We spent sine time with the cousin's.  Fun times and good food.  A little time spent petting the kitty outside too.  Scout didn't get to come here. 

 My second try at Santa Bread came out much better.

Christmas Gift!!  

This little cutie was taking my "picture".

 Pretty Cardinals in the snow.....find all the red spots in the trees!!

A new cookie....

Okay, so I love looking at stuff on Pinerest.  I'm not sure I would do all the things I re-pin or like on there, but some of the stuff looks so good.  I have cool hair stuff, some workout stuff, and crafty stuff....and then I have a Yummies board.  Well....I saw this post about the best cookies EVER....well, I thought, maybe.  The link took me to someone like me who has a blog and made the cookies...and linked up to the original poster.  OMG!!  These are the BEST COOKIES EVER!!  Unless you don't like chocolate (there is 3 types of choc chips in them), and especially if you don't like Nutella....because these cookies have all of that.

So the name of these cookies (The Best Cookie EVER) is Nutella stuffed brown butter choc chip cookies with sea salt.  So to start with....who knew browning butter was first so easy....and second made everything taste so good!!  NO JOKE!!  I followed the instructions that the ambitious cook set out and it turned out beautifully.

When all was said and done, I don't like air cookie sheets (I already knew this, I got rid of all of mine years ago- but being away from home I have to work with what I have).  So my cookies are a little extra gooey, but they taste soooooo good!!  My mother in law even said she thought she had died and gone to heaven they were that good.

Warning when you go to the site, you will see yummy pictures, and you might get discouraged because you have to refrigerate the dough for 2 HOURS, before actually baking the cookies, but totally worth it!